Santa Monica, a Lifelong Learning Community
Lifelong Learning Community News - February 2007...
It's February already?!?
Santa Monica's new Assemblywoman, Julia Brownley, has received some choice assignments in Sacramento. Julia is chairing the Assembly Budget Subcommittee on Education, an influential and key appointment. Julia is also serving on the Committees on Aging and Long Term Care. She is positioned to be a significant player in Sacramento and to serve us well. For more information on her appointments, please go to http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/News-2007/January-2007/01_29_07_Brownley_Appointed.htm
January ended with Saint John's receiving a gift of $35 million from billionaire pharmaceutical executive Patrick Soon-Shiong and his wife Michele Chan. The grant will go to construction on the new hospital facilities and also to establishing the Chang Soon-Shiong Center for Translational Sciences, where researchers and doctors can test the latest biomedical breakthroughs on patients. This extraordinary gift puts Saint John's and Santa Monica in a new position for pioneering medical research. Wow. And Congratulations!!!
First semester is now over for SMMUSD and Samohi students will be receiving their semester report cards in the mail next week.
The school district is welcoming some new faces to leadership positions: Dr. Stephen Hodgson will serve as Interim Chief Financial Officer until a permanent replacement can be hired and Dr.Chiung "Sally" Chou will be the new Chief Academic Officer. Welcome!!
The City Council's Budget Priority Setting session was held over from January and is agendized for February 6th.
Tuesday, February 6, 6:45pm
City Council Meeting: Public Input on Budget Priorities for 07/08
City Hall
This is the public's opportunity to let City Council know your budget priorities for 07/08. Participate in the budget development process by submitting your budget priority suggestions to the City Council via an on-line form at
http://www.smgov.net/communication/cityforms/budget_suggest_07.htm or by attending the public hearing. You may also fax your ideas to (310) 917-6640 or mail them to City Council, 1685 Main St., Room 209, Santa Monica, CA 90401.
The City Council and the School District are also due to begin discussions on re-basing the Master Facilities Use Agreement. This contractual agreement has provided the basis for the City's contribution of $6 million annually to our schools. Per the contract and the City's increased revenues, City and School officials will be discussing increasing that base by an additional $1 million. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, thanks to City support, Santa Monica High School has met the benchmarks for becoming a California Distinguished School and will be applying for that award this year.
Santa Monica College has finalized purchase of a new shuttle lot on Exposition Way near Olympic and Stewart. The lot should be available for student parking for the fall semester and replaces the shuttle lot that operated out of the Airport for many years. That area will soon re-open to the public as Airport Park!
The College and the Big Blue Bus are also working together to analyze ridership patterns and to expand routes and services so that public transit becomes a more appealing and viable option for students and residents.
Santa Monica continues to be resourceful, creative, expert, and diverse in providing lifelong learning opportunities. A few noteworthy events this month:
Until February 9th. Open to the public on Tuesdays, 4:30 - 6:30 pm
Art Exhibition: Daniel Alonzo Exhibition "You Can Go Home Again"
Santa Monica High School, Roberts Art Gallery, 601 Pico Boulevard
310/395.3204 x446, Free.
Roberts Art Gallery, Santa Monica's oldest extant gallery, will host an exhibition by Samo alumni and second generation Santa Monica native Daniel Alonzo. Best known for his 1982 Whale of a Mural located on Fourth Street and Ocean Park Boulevard, his works depict the landscapes of this place he calls home, Santa Monica. A friend writes: "Daniel Alonzo paints our neighborhood. You will recognize every location. It's easy to like the views from the Seacastle and Palisades Park, and you might even appreciate being in local traffic a little more after seeing his interpretation of the California Incline. Daniel is a Samohi grad."
Friday, February 2, 2pm
Trains, Planes & Automobiles: Perspectives on Santa Monica's Rich Transportation History
Santa Monica Main Library, MLK Auditorium, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard
Free
Author and transportation expert, Professor Joseph Schwieterman, presents a fast-paced look at Santa Monica's rich transportation history, showing the audience vivid scenes of the glory years of the Pacific Electric Railway, the hey-day of the Santa Monica airport, and other highlights from around the region. He will also be signing copies of his book, When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment, which has a chapter on Santa Monica. A book sale and signing follows the program.
For more information, visit the Library's website www.smpl.org, or call Library information at (310) 458-8600.
Sunday, February 4, 10:30 am - 12 noon (last entry at 11:15 am)
2:00 - 4:30 pm (last entry at 3:45 pm)
Labyrinth Walk
First United Methodist Church, Simkins Hall, 1008 11th Street
This is new to me but a friend writes: "The labyrinth is a pattern on the floor (like a maze) – that when one walks it – it is very meditative and it's a special experience. It is non-denominational. People go at their own pace and it is wonderful. It takes about 45 minutes. The church has a large labyrinth mat they put on the floor. I believe it is a pattern from a French labyrinth from the 17th century – or earlier. The church opens up the labyrinth sessions to anyone in the community. I've gone a few times and have found it a very relaxing meditative time."
Six Tuesdays, 2/6, 2/13, 2/20, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
FREE CLASS! Family Enrichment & Parent Education
Santa Monica Main Public Library
Activity Room, (1st Floor by Children's Section)
601 Santa Monica Boulevard
Registration required: Call 310-452-6132 and see below for more details.
Are you losing the bedtime battle? Are food wars making meals unbearable? Does your child's physical aggression scare you? When is giving your child a choice not a good idea? Your child's needs are being met - what about your needs? Loving guidance is the way to go!
FOR ALL PARENTS - REGARDLESS OF THE AGE OF YOUR CHILDREN!!!!!
The Infant & Family Support Program offers a family enrichment class for answers to your parenting questions and concerns. Please join us for this six-part series focusing on your parenting issues through the understanding of principles of child development, active listening, and loving guidance techniques.
For more information, call the Infant & Family Support Program at (310) 452-6132. This class is free, but a $20.00 registration fee is required to be refunded upon completion of the class. In order to have an effective class, it is recommended for people who can commit to one night a week for six weeks. Please note that childcare is not provided.
Thursday, February 8, 6-8pm
Community Workshop: "Our youth at risk?"
Virginia Avenue Park, Thelma Terry Building
Workshop 3 Room, 2200 Virginia Avenue
Free Program. Free food. Free childcare. Free translation. Resources, Raffle!
Please RSVP to Tara Robinson 310-309-6000 x215 or Ileana Maria Abreu 310-309-6000 x208
We all worry about our kids – the transition from middle school to high school is a particularly difficult time. Come problem-solve with other parents & an interactive panel!
Worried about how to keep your child safe & out of trouble? Concerned that your child seems depressed & angry? Troubled about the effects of peer pressure or bullying? Concerned as to why your child's grades dropped unexpectedly? Frustrated that your child struggles with family rules and expectations? Concerned that your child is out of your control? Worried that your child may be using alcohol or drugs? Need answers? Become a part of the solution!
Sponsored by SPA 5.
Saturday, February 10, 1pm lecture, 2:30pm screening
Black History Month Celebration
Santa Monica Main Library, MLK Auditorium, 601 Santa Monica Boulevard
Free
Celebrate Black History Month with a lecture on black musicals by SMC's Anne Powers, at 1:00 p.m., and a screening of Cabin In The Sky, starring Lena Horne, at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 11, 2pm-5pm
Moviegoers Guide To Santa Monica (& walking tour)
The Fairmont Miramar Hotel, Malibu Bungalow, 101 Wilshire Blvd.
Free
Please wear comfortable walking shoes, as the walking tour is a 1.5 miles round-trip stroll.
Join author and film historian Harry Medved for a lecture, screening and walking tour featuring Santa Monica locations that starred in the movies. Co-author of the recently published "Hollywood Escapes: The Moviegoers Guide to Exploring Southern California's Great Outdoors," Medved will explore the history of filming in Santa Monica with clips from movies such as Rebel Without A Cause, It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Get Shorty, The Truth About Cats & Dogs, and Oceans Eleven, and the 1973 Best Picture Oscar Winner, The Sting.
Beginning with the Vitagraph Studios next to the Rapp Saloon in 1911 up to the present, Santa Monica's famed natural and architectural environment has hosted Hollywood film-makers using a wide range of locations. Medved's lecture/screening is followed by a walking tour of historic Palisades Park, exploring cinematic locations. The program is free; however, books will be available for sale, benefiting the Santa Monica Conservancy. Presented by The Santa Monica Conservancy.
Monday, February 12, 7pm
SMC's Mary Pickford Speakers Series: Joel Stein
SMC's Academy of Entertainment & Technology's Screening Room
660 Stewart Street
Free
The Santa Monica College Academy of Entertainment & Technology is pleased to announce that eight outstanding entertainment industry speakers will talk on all aspects of the business in its spring lecture series. The series will be kicked off with Joel Stein, a Los Angeles Times columnist who is also a television writer and producer who has coproduced TV pilots for ABC and VH-1 and appeared on HBO's "Phoning It In" and E! Entertainment's "101 Hottest Hot Hotties' Hotness."
Wednesday, February 21st, 7pm-9:30pm
A Dysfunctional Family Film Festival: "Mean Creek"
Fairview Branch Library, 2101 Ocean Park Blvd.
Free
Screening followed by speakers and discussion.
"Mean Creek" is the first film in this new Dysfunctional Family Film Festival. Jacob Aaron Estes, the film's screenwriter and director, will talk about the issues related to dysfunction that are at the heart of the film and about Maslow's "Hierarchy of Needs" that charts the path of moral development for Rory Culkin's 12-year-old Sam, who turns to his older brother for help in dealing with an older boy who has just beat him up at school.
When society builds more barriers than bridges, where do we turn? Does the dysfunctional family reflect a breakdown of society or a reassessment of values? Audiences answer these and other questions with filmmakers, therapists, and teachers following each film. The Dysfuntional Family Film Festival will continue on the 3rd Wednesday of the month from February to May.
Wednesday, February 21, 7:00pm-8:30pm
California Lawyers for the Arts Wednesday Evening Workshop: "Literary Publishing Contracts: Reading between the lines"
Ken Edwards Center, 1527 Fourth Street
General Admission is $20
($10 for C.L.A. members & for residents of Santa Monica,
$5 for Seniors and Students with vaild ID).
TO REGISTER: Call (310) 998-5590 or email UserCLA@aol.com
Congratulations! You finished your book and are ready to send it out. How do you protect your ideas while protecting your work? What should you know about contracts? This workshop explains what you need to know about literary agents and publishing contracts.
California Lawyers for the Arts is a non-profit service organization providing legal services and information for the arts community since 1974. Workshops are led by expert attorneys and other knowledgeable professionals to answer basic questions. Please visit http://www.calawyersforthearts.org for more information on California Lawyers for the Arts and upcoming workshops.
Saturday, February 24, 8am-12:30pm
Conference: Seeds of Success: Cultivating Second Language Learning
Santa Monica College Concert Hall
1900 Pico Boulevard
Registration: $15 students; $25 individual (by Feb 24); $35 at the door.
For further information please call Linda Sallovitz at 310-434-8109.
Spanish translation available.
This conference is designed for policymakers and early childhood educators serving preschool age English language learners and zeros in on: the world of the preschool English language learner; the stages of second language acquisition; key strategies for supporting young English language learners; and using play to support preschool age English language learners.
Sunday, February 25, 1- 2:30pm
Seniors Against Investment Fraud (SAIF)
Santa Monica Main Library, Martin Luther King Jr. Auditorium,
601 Santa Monica Boulevard
Free
Santa Monica Public Library presents Seniors Against Investment Fraud (SAIF), a presentation by WISE Senior Services. The program will include a video made in conjunction with many California state agencies and AARP. A reception will follow the program.
Nationwide, over 24 million people per year become victims of fraud crimes; most are over the age of 50. Investment fraud costs billions of dollars each year and harms the economy and security of the seniors who are impacted. Many victims lose their life savings or their homes through high-interest loans, phony, high-risk "investments" and other schemes, primarily sought through telemarketing solicitations. The SAIF program helps combat consumer fraud by helping seniors to become more knowledgeable consumers, who know how to identify and prevent fraud.
This program is free and open to the public. Seating is limited and on a first arrival basis. For more information, contact the Santa Monica Public Library at (310) 458-8600; or visit the Library's web site at www.smpl.org.
Monday, February 26, 7:00pm
Scott Ritter In Conversation...
Santa Monica Main Library, MLK Auditorium
601 Santa Monica Boulevard
Free
Seating is limited. Tickets available one hour prior to program. No reservations.
Scott Ritter, former lead weapons inspector for the United Nations in Iraq, joins political journalist, Robert Scheer, for a discussion on U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
Reminders:
The Santa Monica Art Palette is now online!
Every week the City of Santa Monica Community and Cultural Affairs Department sends out a friendly reminder about art openings, exhibitions, and special events in Santa Monica. If you would like to receive this weekly update, please send a blank e-mail with the word "Subscribe" in the subject line to: artpalette.mailbox@smgov.net or look online at http://www.smgov.net/ccs/palette/
The Santa Monica Historical Society Museum is raising money to equip its future permanent home in the Santa Monica Main Public Library. To contribute, please call 310-395-2290 or visit www.santamonicahistory.org.
As always, there are many more wonderful lifelong learning events listed on the Lifelong Learning Community Calendar at http://smllc.org/calendar.html.
Lifelong Learning Community Links includes many local theatrical companies including The Santa Monica Playhouse, Powerhouse Theatre, Ruskin Group Theatre Company, the Morgan-Wixson Theatre, and Miles Memorial Playhouse – listed under ÒLocal Museums and Special VenuesÓ as well as other useful websites. Please use these links to stay abreast of these wonderful local organizations and their offerings. Links can be found at http://smllc.org/links.html
That's all for now.
Thanks, Cheers, and Onward,
Louise Jaffe
www.smllc.org
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For more information about the Lifelong Learning Community, contact
Louise Jaffe
lcjaffe@aol.com
310-450-2487
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